Carcinoma of the prostate is the second most frequent neoplasm of adult males and is a major contributor of morbidity and mortality among our population. Unfortunately, despite such awesome statistics, methodology to evaluate potentially useful new therapeutic agents in the management of prostatic cancer remains undeveloped and, thus, inhibits potential advances in pharmacology. Indeed, a major source of this problem in the screening and evaluation of new therapeutic programs as well as, in general, understanding of the biology of prostate cancer is the absence of extensively studied and/or appropriate animal models. Our laboratory, over the past nine months, utilizing material generously donated by the collaborating Vancouver Cancer Center, has been extensively characterizing hormonally induced prostatic adenocarcinomas of NB rats. The latter rat strain is particularly appropriate for studying carcinoma of the prostate because the strain mimics the analogous human condition with respect to hormonal dependency, histopathology, and biochemical profile and lends itself to considerable therapeutic latitude. It is proposed herein, using NB rat prostate adenocarcinomas, to develop a data base to advance our understanding of the management of prostatic carcinoma by treatment of transplanted tumors in both the NB rat and in congenitally athymic (nude) mice with conventional cytotoxic and hormonal agents and newer drugs suggested by the National Prostate Task Force, and to determine dose response radiotherapeutic kinetics. The results will be correlated with hormonal dependency, and number of androgen and estrogen receptors and profiles of levels of acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase. It is hoped that this approach will lend credence to and provide impetus for rational programs in the clinical management of human prostatic carcinoma.